![\"\"](\"https:\/\/educate.winona.edu\/winona360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/05\/Jones_WarriorCupboard_Photo1.jpg\")
<\/a>After the survey, Noelke, Zeiher and other faculty and staff members started campaigning for an on-campus food shelf.<\/p>\n
Grant money was given by the WSU Foundation to create a space on campus for the Warrior Cupboard and with the help of the Vice President of Student Life and Development, Denise McDowell.<\/p>\n
Noelke said it is important to note the Warrior Cupboard is only meant to \u201cfill in the gaps\u201d for students who are hungry. She said, however, she can help students who use the cupboard access services within the Winona community if they are in need of additional support.<\/p>\n
The Warrior Cupboard\u2019s primary partner outside the university is Winona Volunteer Services.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe worked with Sandra Burke, who is the executive director at Winona Volunteer Services, to come up with the strategic plan and to identify the need and make sure that we still have that permanent connection for students who are coming and needing food here to get to Winona Volunteer Services if their needs are more severe than what the Warrior Cupboard can do,\u201d Noelke said.<\/p>\n
Noelke said Winona Volunteer Services is not the only resource that helps keep the Warrior Cupboard at Winona State.<\/p>\n
She said through a social media, grassroots-style fundraiser close to $1,000 was raised and split between the Warrior Cupboard and Winona State\u2019s on-campus garden, SEED Garden.<\/p>\n
Noelke added Winona State students, faculty and staff, have contributed money and food to the shelf.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also have individual student clubs and organizations that will go and do a tabling event and say, \u2018We\u2019re collecting donations for the Warrior Cupboard.\u2019 We might get $5 or we might get $50, but quite frankly, every dollar counts,\u201d Noelke said.<\/p>\n
Creators of the Warrior Cupboard have also worked with the WSU Foundation, so faculty and staff can contribute a percentage of their paycheck to the food shelf.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are several faculty emeritus and some staff and faculty on campus now that donate their actual earned income to this service every two weeks, which is pretty awesome,\u201d Noelke said.<\/p>\n
As of this month, Noelke added she is now able to purchase food for the Warrior Cupboard at a discounted price through Winona Volunteer Services. She said the WSU Foundation\u2019s non-profit status helped make this possible for the Cupboard.<\/p>\n
Noelke emphasized the Warrior Cupboard is not designed to provide students three meals a day, week after week. The goal is to \u201cfill in the gaps\u201d for hungry students and connect them with off-campus resources if they need further help.<\/p>\n
The Warrior Cupboard still has some minor issues to work out, according to Noelke. She said she is certain the Cupboard\u2019s team will figure these things out.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re still getting our hands around what the actual need is because it may be that we continue as we have been,\u201d Noelke said.<\/p>\n
She said a small number of Winona State\u2019s nearly 8,000 students use the service.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, we have 80 students who have access to this space,\u201d Noelke said. \u201cIt may be within a year we have 1,000 students that need access to this space and then our fundraising efforts will have to reflect sort of how we support the amount of students that are taking advantage of the actual service.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noelke said despite having a few things to work out with the Warrior Cupboard, she is excited to watch it continue to grow.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have distributed 3,500 pounds of food and have donated, I think, close to $2,000 and this is individual donations,\u201d Noelke said. \u201cIt\u2019s been incredibly humbling, I think, to see this thing get up and running.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A food shelf at Winona State University has become increasingly successful with the help of numerous university and community resources. The Warrior Cupboard, located in the university\u2019s Integrated Wellness Complex, began operations in fall 2017. Kim Zeiher, academic advisor and student leadership coordinator for Winona State\u2019s TRIO program and one of the minds behind the … Continue reading On-campus food shelf aids students<\/span>